Fuschia - what has happened!?

In March my lovely Fuschia looked like this -



And now it looks like this - what has happened and will it come back again?!

 

I don't know and if you find out let me know as I noticed one today thats that's gone 'south' too. All the small green shoots have just dropped off.

Mine's not been frosted although it may have been chilled but I do have a sneaky suspicion it could be vine weevil so it's coming out the pot tomorrow for a good look amongst the roots

 

Deffo looks like vine weevil to me too. Pull the plant out of the pot and if there are any little white grubby things in there chuck the lot in the bin.

 

Hi Charlie& Fogesque

guess what its vine weevil for my money its had lots of my plants this year (dam bug)
If you find the veevil dump the whole plant and any compost in the bin its the best way to rid your self of it
good luck
mick

 

Yep, I'm thinking mine is doomed - frustrating after keeping all through winter

I have had something else attack them in the past. Hundreds of tiny (~1.5mm) greyish white worm things that turned all the roots into a rotten smelly pulp. May have been a sort of eel worm. Anyone else had this with fuscias?

 

Well something catestrophic happened at the roots - and I would agree with the others, that it is most likely vine weevil. Only way to prove it is tip the pot out and check for those nasty little grubs - they love fuchsias.

Good news is that Provado applied as drench works.

 

Emptied the fuschia out the pot today and guess what?! However, as well as being legless it's now headless :D







After summary execution of the beastie I washed all the soil off what remains of the roots, it's been repotted and is now on an 'isolation ward'. I don't hold out a lot of hope but at least it'll get its chance. I also reek of Provado!

 

From the look of that plant it has an excellent chance of surviving and reshooting.

I remember one very precious cutting that suddenly failed due to those pests - almost rootless when rescued. However the stem was still green, and following replanting it grew new roots.

I betcha your does OK - now your removed those grubs.

 

I would echo what Fran says. I have washed the little b*****s out of many pots of fuschias and they have survived..........the plants that is not the B*****s. :D

 

Hello Charlie

All I can say is great photographs - lousy subject. Having just done the same thing with one of my Fuschias I fully sympathise but I'm sure that the plant will recover.
Best of luck...........

 

Yuck, nasty bug, does this happen with hardy fuschias in the garden aswell???

 

Haven't seen it there, HH, but it doesn't mean I won't!! Need to be ever-vigilant!

 

Is there any protection i can give my new fuschia plants before i plant them out??

 

My experience of the dreaded vine weevil is that it appears from nowhere - it appears to like fuschias but does not like the taste of geranium/pelargoniums in the same tubs. Fresh compost (weevil free) is the only suggestion I can offer.

Ref the hardy fuschias - have never seen one attacked.............

By the way it can wreak havoc in yor Primulas!

 

Hi everyone
Many thanks for the input - yes it was indeed vine weevil and I just dumped the lot. Its off to the GC!